Eddie Ritz
Jun 27, 2024
Featuring authentic Italian cuisine crafted with meticulous care, Café Med on South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach is quickly becoming a neighborhood hot spot after opening in mid-May.
It is the sister restaurant to Bice Ristorante in Palm Beach and took over the space previously occupied by the restaurant Jalisco.
Jalisco was owned by Jose Gonzalez, also the general manager of Bice in Palm Beach for 26 years. As Gonzalez focused on Bice, he had other people run Jalisco and it was just getting by, said Bice Group CEO Raffaele Ruggeri said.
Talking with Gonzalez, who he describes as "an amazing gift to my family and restaurant," Ruggeri suggested "Why don't we open a small Italian restaurant." A partnership was formed and Café Med began.
When Ruggeri and his wife Janet first saw the location he said their reaction was immediate "When we saw this gem with a garden we fell in love," he said.
They began converting the space in November and had hoped to be open before the end of season, Ruggeri said. But with permitting and construction, they missed that window and opened May 16.
Describing the new venue as "a casual, relaxed version of Bice," Ruggeri said it's not as pricey as Bice, but still the same high quality. Café Med's menu features about 25 choices whereas the menu at their big sister has nearly 90.
Loath to pinpoint an early favorite among diners at Cafe Med — "everything is selling well" — Ruggeri and his wife couldn't resist naming a few standouts.
Among them: the gnocchi, the salmone (roasted salmon, herb crust with a light garlic sauce), the vitello al marsala (veal chop with a marsala wine and mushroom sauce), the zucchine alla parmigiana (a take on eggplant parmesan only made with zucchini), the pollo alla cacciatora, which is cooked sous vide for three hours making it incredibly tender and flavorful, and the tagliatelle bolognese.
Ruggeri says Café Med is "a family restaurant for the neighborhood, not only for the food, but for the service." In addition to himself and wife Janet, three of their five adult children and a nephew work at the restaurant.
Though the buildout took a little longer than they had hoped, the look inside and out is impressive. Ruggeri said that they designed it themselves and that "his wife's beautiful touches" took it to the next level.
With both indoor and outdoor seating, the look is simple, yet elegant. The outside tables feature umbrellas and fans for keeping cool in the garden-like setting. Ruggeri said the patio is beautiful and that "come season it will be the best real estate we have."
Featuring Italian-American wines, the wine list at Café Med isn't massive, but is designed to pair well with their menu.
Though they are licensed only for beer and wine, Ruggeri said they also serve mixed drinks using "fermented spirits" including vodka and tequila. Because they are fermented and not distilled they are allowed to serve them. "We call them drinks with a kick," he said. They are very flavorful, but not quite as strong as traditional distilled spirits. He also added that the drinks have less sugar content and are lower in calories.
Currently, Café Med is open six days a week for dinner, but in October the goal is to be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. They will also start doing private events.
Can't make it in for dinner? No worries as Cafe Med offers takeout and works with with several third party delivery companies.
Café Med opens in West Palm Beach
What: Café Med
Where: 6611 S Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday; 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Information: 561-855-8116; cafemedwpb.com